Win $3000 in our first information design competition

Awards, Data Visualisation, dataviz, David McCandless, Environment, InfoBeautiful, infographia, infographics, Information Design, information graphics, Information Is Beautiful, McCandless, The Visual Miscellaneum Comments Off

Sep 232011

Information Is Beautiful Awards
Your design creativity could win you $3000. Even if you can’t design.

We’ve launched a series of monthly visualization competitions They’ll run alongside our shiny new annual Information is Beautiful Awards.

First challenge: visualize data on the world’s non-renewable resources. Specifically, how long they might last.

I had a page on this in my book. But I’ve never been entirely happy with it. Can you do better?

If so, you could bag $2,000 for a design. That’s chunky.

And don’t worry if you can’t design. If you’ve got a brain and a pencil but no design skillz, you can still submit a sketch of your idea. There’s $1,000 prize for such “napkin” entries.

Yeah. Everyone can make information beautiful.

Hierarchy of Digital Distractions @ MoMA

Data Visualisation, David McCandless, Facebook, Fun, infodesign, infographia, infographics, Information Design, information graphics, Information Is Beautiful, InfoVisualisation, McCandless, Social networks, The Visual Miscellaneum, Twitter, visual miscellaneum, visualisation Comments Off

Jul 262011

Very honoured that the Hierarchy of Digital Distractions features in the latest exhibition at the Museum Of Modern Art in New York.

“Talk To Me”, curated by the legendary Paola Antonelli, explores how innovations in communication design are transforming our lives. It features interactive objects, data visualizations, and brain-blending guerilla tech projects.

The Hierarchy Of Digital Distractions explores and visualizes the subtle, invisible structure I use to prioritize one digital distraction over another. Check out its page on MoMA and press some buttons. (if you tweet, use #ttmhierarchy).

limited edition prints

To celebrate, I’ve created a batch limited edition prints. Oh man – they’re gorgeous.

I thought it would be ironic to render such a technological-themed viz with the really old-school “risograph” print technique. It produces a really grainy, smudgy, soulful ‘old-school’ look. (Thanks to HatoPress in London for their awesomely detailed work).

Look at that!

(They’re also super eco-friendly: printed on recycled art paper with soy-based inks.)

You can order limited edition signed prints now in our store.

source: my tawdry life

Left vs Right v1.5

concept map, dataviz, David McCandless, Economics, Government, InfoBeautiful, infodesign, infographia, Information Design, Information Is Beautiful, InfoVisualisation, McCandless, Philosophy, The Visual Miscellaneum, visual miscellaneum Comments Off

Jul 222011

An update of our fabled Left vs Right concept map. Written and art-directed by David McCandless. Designed by Stefanie Posavec.

I’ve finally updated this image after lengthy (and sometimes heated) discussion with right wingers. The goal was to smooth out my biases, really. As a left-leaning journalistic type, I had subtly – and unconsciously – biased the diagram to make the Left seem better than than the Right. But taking in feedback – and no small-amount of fireballs in the comments – I’ve refined the wording and changed a few other subtle elements to hopefully rebalance the image.

If you’re curious and beady-eyed, I’ve set up a little spot-the-difference image. There are five differences.

The image is also on the Guardian Datablog today and printed in the paper. There, I’ve gone into a bit more detail about the process of making the image. Enjoy!

I love this diagram. And I’m really happy to offer you a fresh new gorgeous A2 print of it on FSC-certified Munken art paper. Check out the store. (All monies go back into the website, for paying our lovely contributors etc).

See the US version. See the Rest-of-the-World Version.

Writing & art-direction: David McCandless
Design: Stefanie Posavec
Sources: Encyclopedia Brittanica, Wikipedia, Conservative-Resources.com

Is The HPV Vaccine Safe? v 2.0

cancer, Data Visualisation, David McCandless, Health, infodesign, infographia, infographic, infographics, Information Design, information graphics, Information Is Beautiful, InfoVisualisation, McCandless, Science, The Visual Miscellaneum, visual miscellaneum, visualisation Comments Off

Jul 222011

Remember a couple years ago when there was a big kick-off about the safety of the HPV (Human Papillomavirus) Vaccine?

The virus causes 99.7% of all cases of cervical cancer – the second deadliest for women, after breast cancer.

But some concern sprang up around the safety of the jab. This was inflamed by the fact that it’s most effective when given to girls aged 12-13. Stories of girls fainting and other health scares snowballed the concern into full-on fear. Tabloids branded the jab “as deadly as the cancer”. Parents stone-walled the vaccine.

We did a graphic at the time to show the chances of a nasty or fatal outcome were miniscule (you had more chance being struck by lightning).

This week we noticed, via Dr Jen Gunter’s site, that detailed new data has appeared on the vaccine and its safety.

Inevitably, I’ve graphickised® the essence for easy injection into your mind.

As ever, all our data, sources and calculations: http://bit.ly/HPVsafety

Is the HPV vaccine safe? - Information is Beautiful - David McCandless

There’s that data link if you want to check our sources: http://bit.ly/HPVsafety

I’m refreshing and redesigning a selection of our diagrams over the next week. So stay tuned.

Design & research: David McCandless
Research: Miriam Quick
Via: Dr Gen Gunter
Data: http://bit.ly/HPVsafety
Sources: Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, MetaAnalysis by Lu et al (2011), Rambout et al (2007), SEER @ The National Cancer Institute, American Cancer Society , Medeiros et al (2009).

The Sunscreen Smokescreen

Data Journalism, Data Visualisation, David McCandless, disease, Health, InfoBeautiful, infographia, infographic, Infographical Morsels, infographics, Information Design, information graphics, Information Is Beautiful, InfoVisualisation, McCandless, The Visual Miscellaneum, UVa, visual miscellaneum Comments Off

Jul 122011

It started with a question. It always does. This time, the question was simple: How much sunscreen should I wear?

I’m a pale geek who burns. I wanted to know the optimal. A simple question with a simple answer, right?

Wrong.

This simple question took me on a massive journey through the data, information myths and misinformation that surround our perception of sunscreen. I’m calling it the Sunscreen Smokescreen.

All our data, calculations and references here: http://www.bit.ly/sunscreensmoke

The Sunscreen SmokeScreen - Information Is Beautiful - David McCandless

See the Environmental Working Group’s assessment for health sunscreens: http://breakingnews.ewg.org/2011sunscreen/

All our data, calculations and references here:
http://www.bit.ly/sunscreensmoke

RESEARCH & DESIGN: David McCandless
RESEARCH: Miriam Quick
ADDITIONAL RESEARCH: James Key, Pearl Doughty-White
ADDITIONAL DESIGN: Piero Zagami, Derek Guo, Joe Swainson
SOURCES: The British Medical Journal, Cancer Research UK, World Health Organisation, PubMed, Norwegian Institute For Air Research, Health Canada, Skin Cancer Foundation, Nature, American Academy Of Dermatology, National Health Service, National Cancer Institute, Australian Institute of Health & Welfare, Journal Of Clinical Oncology, American Journal of Public Health, The Environmental Working Group, New York Times, Wikipedia.
DATA & RESEARCH: see it all here: http://www.bit.ly/sunscreensmoke

Plenty More Fish In The Sea?

Data Visualisation, dataviz, David McCandless, Environment, InfoBeautiful, infodesign, infographia, infographics, Information Design, information graphics, Information Is Beautiful, McCandless, Science, The Visual Miscellaneum Comments Off

Jun 032011

A visualization of the state of Atlantic fish stocks past and present for The Guardian. Commissioned by The Pew Charitable Trusts as part of European Fish Week

» See the vizualisation on The Guardian Datablog
» Find out more about fish week and see more visualisations at http://ocean2012.eu/

(Oh, I also made an animated version)

DESIGN: David McCandless // MAP Render: Gregor Aisch
Source: Hundred year decline of North Atlantic predatory fishes, V Christensen et al, 2003 – link (PDF)

A Better Life Index

Data Visualisation, David McCandless, Economics, Government, InfoBeautiful, infodesign, infographia, infographics, Information Design, information graphics, Information Is Beautiful, McCandless, The Visual Miscellaneum Comments Off

May 242011

Nicely done visualization and enlightening of OECD stats by Moritz Stefaner and co.

We’re Hiring!

Data Visualisation, David McCandless, InfoBeautiful, infodesign, infographia, infographics, Information Design, information graphics, Information Is Beautiful, jobs, McCandless, The Visual Miscellaneum, visual miscellaneum No Responses »

May 092011

Want to come and work for Information Is Beautiful? Get in.

Designer – Are you an all-rounder with a perfectionist slant who loves infographics and visualisations and all things beautiful?
Editor for InformationIsBeautiful.net – Savvy? Brainy? Designery? Do you want to write, edit and manage this website with that brain of yours??
Editor for awesome side-project – Do you love infographics & visualisations? Do you want to helm a new, awesome side-project?

Radiation Dosage Chart

Data Visualisation, dataviz, David McCandless, infodesign, infographia, infographics, Information Design, information graphics, Information Is Beautiful, McCandless, Science, The Visual Miscellaneum, visual miscellaneum No Responses »

Mar 292011

Sorry this is so late. I just came back from holiday to an inbox full of requests to render up a Radiation Dosage chart.

Personally, I think XKCD has done a great job already. But I am here to serve.

Hopefully our chart will also help counter some of the confusion circulating about radiation and peril. Here also is a great piece by Anil Dash on understanding radiation exposure.

The data is here: http://bit.ly/RadiationChart

If you like this image, we’re selling a hi-res, instantly downloadable PDF.
It’s $2.50 / £1.50 / €1.70 with all money going to Japan Crisis Relief.
If you’re interested in more charitable artwork, please try DesignersForJapan – some great work there.

Buy in our Store or use this direct PayPal purchase link: http://pul.ly/b/16238
(You’ll be instantly emailed the PDF). Thank you!

Research & design: David McCandless | Data: bit.ly/RadiationChart | Sources: XKCD, Guardian Datablog, BBC News, Mayo Clinic

Learning How To Visualize

Data Journalism, Data Visualisation, David McCandless, Fun, InfoBeautiful, infographia, infographics, Information Design, information graphics, Information Is Beautiful, InfoVisualisation, The Visual Miscellaneum, visual miscellaneum, Workshops No Responses »

Feb 212011

Exoplanets - Visualization for Wired UK - InformationIsBeautiful.net
Been getting a ton of requests for ‘how to’s and guides for creating decent visualizations and information designs. Made me think: maybe I could do some workshops in this area. I like developing ideas and working with people. Could be fun!

So if you think you’d like to attend a workshop on visualization or organize one for your organisation, please fill in this quick form (30 seconds).

some guides

In the meantime, you might be interested in a section I’ve been building in a far-flung corner of the site. It documents my process for creating infographics.

The most recent one explores the stages we went through creating an infographic for Wired magazine about planets in other solar systems – or “exoplanets”.

(Microscopic, dark and unimaginably far away, these tiny celestial objects should be impossible to spot. But thanks to extreme telescopy, deep data analysis, and ingenuous hacking, astronomers have now detecting over 500 bizarre and exotic alien worlds thousands of lights years away. So cool!)

Here’s how we created it.

some other examples

Timelines: TimeTravel in TV and Film
Yup, we went through 36 drafts of this. Yes, I am a rampant perfectionist. Yes I can be difficult to work with.

Information is Agonizing: Designing The Cover of the book
Creating the UK cover for Information Is Beautiful was an agonizing yet gloriously creative pain in the ass involving over 90 – yes nine-ty – different versions.

Versioning: Because Every Design Is Good For Something
How do you flag and label 142 countries on a single map without choking the result? With great difficulty.

I hope this is helpful. And again if you think you’d like to attend a workshop to learn how to create these kind of images, please fill in this quick form (30 seconds).

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